Mrs Melinda Richardson
Did you know that from 26 alphabet letters, 44 phonemic sounds can be made? Of this, the letter 'a' can be used in 8 different ways! Can you find them all?
From a number of years experience teaching Kindergarten, I have come to the conclusion that English is a complex language, of which we sometimes take for granted. Teaching students the fundamental skills for reading and writing is a clear demonstration of this. (Try teaching them why ball is spelt with an 'a', rather than an 'or'!)
We utilise the Soundwaves programme, which commences in Kindergarten, with a phonemic approach. This means students focus on the sounds that each single letter predominantly makes. As a parent, you may have come into contact with the chants, songs and actions we use to ensure a variety of learning styles are met. Once students can competently identify and use the single sounds of letters, they then start to learn blends and digraphs - when two or more letters are combined to make another sound. This programme is utilised all the way throughout the school, up until Year 6. Each week has a different focus sound, of which students brainstorm words that fit this category. In the case where different letter combinations are actually used to make the same 'sound', students are encouraged to investigate and manipulate, with a focus on 'which spelling attempt looks right'?
Just like you would pick battles over certain issues at home, we too are careful in picking battles at school. The use of language can be one of those battles. Students can become deflated when a piece of work that they have dedicated themselves to, has come back to them with red corrections all over it. As teachers, we reflect on the purpose of why our students are writing. Particularly in our Junior Years, we like to celebrate every single attempt and encourage the progress that each student has made. This may mean, from time to time, you will see work with incorrect words or punctuation missing. Please be assured that our teachers monitor each and every child, and provide feedback to them about the next step in their learning journey. Part of the curriculum, is that students learn to publish their work - these opportunities are in place for every grade, so concepts like editing are also explicitly taught. Students, over time, will learn to use a dictionary to check their work, they may have a peer read their work as well. We want to celebrate the process, not just the product, and recognise that if we as adults get tripped up by the English language, it is very understandable that our students will too.
So how can you help at home? Firstly, encourage any writing attempt that is phonemic (written with the general letter sounds ie. borl = ball). If it is appropriate timing, turn the attempt into a teachable moment - does that word look right? Do you know of any other ways we can make this sound? Secondly, encourage your child to develop their love of reading. The more they are exposed to words and great vocabulary, the more they develop their personal word bank which, in most cases, will feed into their own writing.
